Apparatus for making baskets or other receptacles



Oct. 27, 1931. c, ER 1,828,911

APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKETS OR OTHER RECEPTACLES Filed Sept. 1 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 27, 1931. c, sw 1,828,911

APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKETS OR OTHER RECEPTACLES Filed Sept. 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE SWIGEIVI', OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10

ST. JOSEPH IRON WORKS, OF SI. J'OSEIH, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN Application filed September 16, 1925. Serial No. 56,560.

My invention relates to baskets or other receptacles wherein the annular wall is composed of a plurality of panels or staves, and has reference more particularly to the method and apparatus whereby the panels or staves are first connected in series to form an elongated mat which is then shaped into receptacle form and provided with a bottom and hoops.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved method and apparatus for making a basket or similar receptacle; to construct the annular wall of the receptacle in an improved manner; to unite the panels or staves of the annular wall in the form of an elongated mat preparatory to the making of the basket or receptacle; to utilize a strip, which subsequently forms a hoop, as the means for connecting the staves in the preliminary form; to connect the staves in a manner whereby they arecapable of fanning out to form a tapered receptacle; to attach the hoops and bottom to the mat as the latter is shaped in receptacle form so that the construction of the receptacle is accomplished as the wall is shaped; and in general to provide a simple, convenient and effective method and apparatus for making a basket or other receptacle wherein the annular wall is composed of a number of upright panels.

On the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top view of a basket making machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary end view of the form showing a stapling device thereover and the mat support and a hoop guide in section;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary side view of the form and stapling devices showing the mat support in section;

Fig. 4, a perspective view, partly broken away, of a mat which is used in making a basket in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 5, a perspective view of thebasket bottom and Fig. 6, a perspective view of the completed basket with a portion broken away to disclose details. no i The basket or receptacle which my present -ing a hoop 6 having a plurality of crossed slats 7 secured to the edge thereof, or other form of bottom with annular flange corresponding to the hoop 6, is located in the lower end of the basket and has the lower ends of the anels 1 secured by suitable fasteners 8 between the bottom hoop 6 and the outer hoop 9. An intermediate hoop 10 is preferably provided on the outside of the basket between the upper and lower ends of the panels 1 and secured to the latter by fasteners 11.

In making this basket in accordance with my present invention the staves 1 are first arranged in series, either edge to edge or with their edges overlapping as shown in Fig.4, and these staves are secured together in a suitable manner so that they can be fed into the basket making machine as a unitary structure or mat and so that they will fan out to give the walls of the basket a tapered form. In practice I prefer to connect the panels 1 by means of a strip 12 which subsequently becomes the outer hoop 9 at the bottom of the basket, said strip 12 being laid over the lower ends of the panels 1 and secured thereto by fasteners 13. When the panels have their edges overlapped as shown herein, these fasteners are preferably inserted through the overlapped portions as this holds the panels more securely against displacement as each panel is thereby fastened at twopoints and at the same time permits the necessary fanning out of the panels. The strip 12 extends only part way over the first panel 1 (that is the one indicated at the right handend of Fig. 4) while this strip 12 projects beyond the last panel 1 (which is the panel at the left hand end. of Fig.4) so that the latter panel may overlap the first mentioned panel when the mat is shaped in an annular form and so that the projecting end of the strip 12 will overlap the other end of said strip so that the two ends may be stapled together.

The machine for shaping the mat of Fig. 4 and completing the basket comprises a form consisting of the disks 14, 15, 16 and 17 of which the disks 14, 15 and .16 are secured on a shaft 18 which. is carried by a bearing 19 of a standard 20 and provided with a ratchet wheel 21 which is advanced in a step by step manner by a pawl 22, the extent of each intermittent movement being regulated in accordance with the width of the panels 1 so that the fasteners which are applied in the construction of the basket are located in substantially the same relative position with respect to each panel, preferably through overlapped portions of said panels. This machine has a plurality of staplers 22, 23 and 24 arranged respectively above the disks 14, 15 and 17 so as to cooperate with these disks in applying the staples.

The disk 17 is relatively movable with respect to the disk 16, being pivoted on the upper end of an arm 25 which said arm is mounted in any suitable manner on the frame of the machine so that it may be moved to and fromthe disk 16. This disk 17 supports the basket bottom in the operation of making the basket and clamps the panels 7 between the disks 16 and 17 with the hoop 6 of the bottom extending over the edge of the disk 17 as shown in Fig. 3.

The disk 14 is designed to support the inside upper hoop 3 of the basket in the operation of making the latter and is preferably formed with a reduced portion 26 with a bevel 2.7 therebetween to facilitate the applying of the hoop 3 on the disk 14. The disk 15 does not have any hoop mounted thereon but serves merely as a form and as an anvil for the stapling device 23. Said disk is preferably formed with a beveled edge 28 for facilitating the removal of the completed basket' from the form.

Mounted at one side of the top of the form or disks 14, 15, 16 and 17 and extending laterally therefrom is a support or feed table 29 carried by a standard 30. This feed table 29 has an upturned flange 31 along one edge for engagement with the free ends of the panels 1 in guiding the mat of Fig. 4 onto the form or disks 14, 15, 16 and 17. At the other edge of the feed table 29 are a number of apertured ears 32 for bolts 33 which engage in slots 34 of ears on a plate 35 which is channeled on the under side or otherwise suitably formed to fit the band 12 and insure proper feeding of the mat onto the form. In view of the slots 34 this guide 35 is adjustable so that the mat for forming the annular wall of the basket may be fed onto the form at the proper place.

.Hoopaguides 36 and 37 are arranged re- I spectively adjacent the stapling devices 22 and 23 for guiding strips of material 38 and Assuming now that a mat such as shown in Fig. 4 had been formed, this mat is placed on the support or feed table 29 withthe band 12 engaged in the channel on the underslde of the guide 35 and with the edges at the free ends of the panels 1 adjacent the upturned flange 31. A hoop 3 is placed on the disk 14 and a bottom 5 is clamped between the disks 16 and 17 with the hoop 6 extending over the edge of the disk 17. Hoop stock or strlps 38 and 39 are then started in the guides 36 and 37 respectively. The foremost panel 1 of the mat is then brought under the stapling devices 22, 23. and 24 and the ends of the strips 38 and 39 fed down under the staplers 22 and 23. The machine is then started in operation and the first operation of the stapling devices secures the ends of the strlps 38 and 39 to the foremost panel 1, at the same time fastening the upper end of this first panel between the end of the band 38 and the hoop 3, and the stapling device 24 also fastens the end of the strip 12 and the foremost panel l'to the hoop 6.

The mat is now connected with the hoops 3 and 6 which rotate in a step by step manner with the form and the bands 38 and 39 are also connected with the leading panel 1. By reason of this connection,as the form, consisting of the disks 14, 15, 16 and 17, is advanced in a step by step manner by the pawl 22 and ratchet wheel 21, the mat of Fig.4 and the bands 38 and 39 are fed onto the form in a step by step manner, andat each interval of rest the stapling devices 22, 23 and 24 apply a series of staples 2, 11 and 8 respectively.

In view of the gradually diminished size of the disks 14, 15, 16 and 17 a tapered form results and as the mat is fedonto this form the panels or staves 1 are fanned out so as to give to the completed basket or receptacle a tapered form corresponding to the form on which the basket is made.

It will be readily understood that it is not necessary to form the mat as shown in Fig. 4-, as said figure merely illustrates one of the many ways in which the matmay be constructed. The strip of material for connecting the slats or panels may be at the upper edge and arranged to form either the inner or outer hoops 3 or 4 or it may be arranged midway between the ends of the panels so as to form the hoop 10. Moreover the strip, such as 12, may be entirely omitted and the overlapping portions of the panels merely stapled together to form the mat and insure that each successive panel will follow the preceding panel as the latter is stapled on the form and advanced by the latter.

WhileI have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the principles of my invention the scope of which is to be determined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machineof the class described, the combination of a rotatable form, a supportextending laterally from the form and from which a strip of material provided with a longitudinal rib is wound on the form, a guide adapted to engage thelongitudinal rib on the strip ofmaterial for guiding the latter onto the form, and mechanism co-operating with the form for applying fasteners to the strip of material on the form.

2. n a machine-of the class described, the combination of a rotatable form, a series of stapling devices adjacent the form and a support extending laterally from the form from which a strip of material provided with a longitudinal rib is fed between the stapling devices and the form, and guides extending along the lateral edges of the support, one of said guides being recessed on the underside to engage the marginal rib on the strip of material.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatable tapered form hauipg a hoop seat at the larger end open at the side nearest the smaller end of the form and with an abutment" at the other side, a holder movable to and from the smaller end of theform and adapted to internally engage the annular flange on a preformed basket bottom for positioning and holding the basket bottom at the small end of the form, a stapling device at each end of the form, a support extending laterally from the form and provided with guiding means for directing a strip of material from the support onto the form so that the lateral edges of the strip of material are interposed respectively between the marginal edge of the holder and the adj oining stapling device and between the hoop seat and the other stapling device, and means for applying a band onto the edge of the strip of material under the latter stapling device. I

4. In a machine of the class described. the combination of a rotatable tapered form adapted to support a hoop thereon at the larger end, a disk movable to and from the smaller end of the a form for internally engaging an annular band on a receptacle bottom toposition and clamp the latter against the form, stapling devices adjacent the ends of the form and intermediateof the ends of the form, hoop guides adjacent one of the end stapling devices and an intermediate stapling device for applying hoop stock between the stapling devices and the form. a support extending laterally from theform from which a strip of material provided with'a marginal rib is fed between the stapling devices and the form, and a guide along the edge of the support for engaging said rub on the edge of said strip of material.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support, a guide adjacent the edge of the support and overhangingv the same for engaging an end connecting band of a series of panels on the support, a form adjacent the end of the support adapted to receive the connected series of panels thereon and tapered to fan out the panels into the form of a tapered shell, means for supporting a hoop within the larger end of the tapered shell, means for supporting a bottom with a marginal hoop thereon in the smaller vices for successively securing the respective ends of said panels to saidhoops.

6. In a basket making machine of the class described for building a frusto-conical side wall around a'combined basket-bottom and attached marginal hoop, the combination of a rotatable frusto-conical form mounted on an axis fixed against bodily shifting, there being an open unobstructed space beyond the smaller end of the form permitting a basket on the form to be withdrawn axially from the s aller end thereof, a stapling device adjacent each end of the form, said formhaving a hoopv seat at the larger end cooperating with one'of the stapling devices to clinch the staples therefrom, and a basketbottom and hoop-supporting member rotatable with and havingaclamping relation with the smaller end of the form, said member being mounted for movement to and from the said form and inthe open space atthe smaller end of the form and having a peripheral hoop seat in line with the other stapling device to cooperate therewith and end of the tapered shell, and stapling declinch the staples therefrom when said membeer is in its clamping position.

7. In a basket making machine of the class described for building a frusto-conical side wall around a combined basket-bottom and attached marginal hoop, the combination of a rotatable frusto-conical form, a stapling device in cooperative relation with each end of the form, the larger end of the form having a hoop-seat in cooperative relation with one of the stapling devices to clinch the staples supplied thereby, and a basket-bottom and hoop-supporting member having a clamping relation with the smaller end of the form and also rotatable therewith, said member being mounted for movement towards and away from the smaller end of the form into and out of clamping relation therewith and having a peripheral hoop-seat in line with the other stapling devices to cooperate therewith and clinch the staples therefrom when the said member is in clamp-.

. open and unobstructed s ace at the smaller end of the form permittmg the withdrawal of the basket on the form axially therefrom in the operative position of the form and when the basket-bottom and hoop-supporting member has been moved awayfrom the form.

CLYDE SWIGERT. 

